Scorching highs continue as officials open cooling centers to help escape heat

Tim Drake (top center) paddles out on his kayak with his friends in tow Monday under blistering skies at the Bonnyview Boat Ramp on the Sacramento River in Redding.

It's hot in Redding and likely to only get hotter this week as Redding faces down possible record-breaking heat today, according to the National Weather Service.

That heat prompted local and state officials to issue tips on how to stay cool and to open centers for those seeking to escape the heat.

The American Red Cross of Northern California staffed cooling centers in Shasta and Tehama counties.

The St. James Lutheran Church, 2500 Shasta View Drive in Redding, the Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson and John Beaudet Community Center, 1525 Median Ave. in Shasta Lake, are offering air conditioning, water and snacks for those looking to escape the heat.

Those centers will be open from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Thursday.

Tehama County officials opened a center at Wetter Hall, 1840 Walnut Street in Red Bluff, from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.

Eric Kiltz, emergency services coordinator for the Red Cross, said typically those who can't afford to run their air conditioners, the elderly or those on fixed incomes, show up at the centers in small numbers.

"Historically we have a very low turnout for things like this," Kiltz said.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. opened a cooling center in Cottonwood two years ago, but they're otherwise rarely used. Tehama County officials opened one in 2008 and the fair grounds in Anderson hosted another a year earlier.

Forecasters expect triple-digit highs to continue through at least Saturday, with temperatures 110 or higher through Thursday.

The record for July 1 is 111 degrees, set in 1972, while July 2's hottest was also 111 degrees in 1950.

The weather service last week issued an excessive heat watch for Redding that will continue this week, Osborne said.

"It's going to be extended through Thursday," she said.

Overnight lows also be warm, hovering around 80 degrees most days.

Thunderstorms could hit Redding midweek, though they'll offer little relief from the heat and minimal moisture.

"Right now, probably a tenth of an inch or less but if you get a cell right over you, it might be a quarter of inch," Osborne said. "The amounts are still uncertain."

That same heat opened and closed June, which was wetter and warmer than average, according to the weather service.

Last month saw a maximum daytime temperature of 111 degrees but a storm in the latter half of June dropped that to 69 degrees on June's coolest day. The storm system dumped more than 1 ½ inches at the Redding Airport, nearly an inch more than normal, according to weather service data.